[Frequency of candiduria in patients hospitalized in intensive care units]

Some Candida species especially Candida albicans are known as flora of human and animals body and coexist in skin, throat and gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. They can primarily be colonized in hospitalized patients and cause diseases. Resent studies have reported increasing rate of candidauria in intensive care unit [ICU] patients. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of candiduria in ICU patients with urinary tract catheterization. In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 110 hospitalized patients in ICU over 18 years old who had more than 7 days urinary tract catheter were studied. Urine sample was taken immediately after catheter replacement and sent to the laboratory in less than 1 hour and analyzed. Data collection was done by a questionnaire and check list. A total of 110 patients including 65 men [59.1%] and 45 women [40.9%] were studied of whom 29 ones [26.4%] had candiduria based on urine culture. Candida albicans was the most common species [34.3%]. Risk factors of candiduria were age, duration of hospitalization and urinary tract catheterization, using more than two antibiotics, corticosteroid consumption, and diabetes mellitus. Due to the increasing rate of candida infection in hospitalized patients especially ICU patients, more attention for prevention of candiduria especially in those with candiduria risk factors is recommended

[ patient with tuberculosis meningitis with clinical and paraclinical manifestations similar to viral meningitis]

Meningitis is one of the serious complications of extra pulmonary tuberculosis [TB]. TB meningitis is the most common chronic meningitis in the world. Early diagnosis and treatment of TB meningitis will decrease the probability of focal neurological defects in these patients. AFB smear and culture are the methods that routinely are used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Polymerase Chain Reaction [PCR] of CSF samples is a specific diagnostic technique to approve the TB meningitis infectious. A 26 years old woman with a 10 days history of continuous global headache, nausea and restlessness referred to a neurologist. A brain CT scan without contrast was normal. Then a lumbar puncture [LP] was carried out and CSF sample was analyzed. An aseptic meningitis pattern in the CSF test was observed. All of the other tests were showed to be normal. There was no change in the result of the secondary LP test and CSF analysis that was done less than 24 hours after the first LP. Regarding to the seasonal prevalence of entroviruses, causes of lymphocytic viral meningitis was ruled out. Tuberculin Skin Test [TST] was positive in this patient. The PCR of CSF sample for TB was positive. So the diagnosis of TB meningitis was approved and treatment was started. The patient had a good condition after one year of treatment. Since the TB infectious has a variety of presentations that could be unusual, we should think about TB in patients with similar manifestations of meningitis and pneumonia. Due to its specificity, PCR in these conditions is a very helpful method for TB diagnosis as it can detect few copies of bacilli in biological samples